“Indeed she shall not harbor a doubt of you, Dick, darling, even to save her from the pain of knowing the truth. But never fear; trust to me to spare her feelings without compromising your character.”
In a very few minutes the General came in booted and gloved for his drive. Dick was quite ready and the cab was announced to be waiting. And so with a few last words of warning and encouragement to Anna, they left her to go upon their anxious errand.
When they arrived at the office of the chief they received information that the two detectives who had been sent in pursuit of the would-be duellists had returned and reported.
And this was the substance of their report:
That Prince Ernest of Hohenlinden, with two gentlemen of his suite—being his physician in ordinary and his second; and that Lord Killcrichtoun, with two attendants, his second, and his servant, had left London by the eight o’clock train for Southampton.
“And what the mischief have they done that for?” inquired General Lyon, in perplexity.
“Their intention seems clear enough, I think. They mean to cross over to some one of the Channel Islands, where they think they may blow each other’s brains out comfortably without interruption,” answered the chief.
“And now what the deuce is to be done? They left at eight, you say? It is twelve now, and there is a train just starting, if I remember rightly; and it is too late to pursue them by this train; and there will not be another start until three o’clock, I think? At least such is my impression of the hours of the trains to Southampton, from looking over the time-table with young Spencer yesterday, before he went down to meet a friend who had come by the American steamer,” said the General.
“Yes, you are quite right about the trains; and right also about the uselessness of attempting to pursue these madmen by rail. But I have telegraphed the police there to be on the lookout for them.”
“And we can do nothing in the meantime?”